


What They Found in Each Other

by Scrawlers



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, freeform prose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 00:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17032788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scrawlers/pseuds/Scrawlers
Summary: An examination of Lotor's and Keith's relationship over time.





	What They Found in Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this about a year ago, but in light of Tumblr being . . . Tumblr, I've decided to archive everything here, just in case.

At first, what Lotor and Keith have in each other is mutual intrigue.

They were enemies, once, and recently at that. Keith remembers vividly each and every time Lotor outmaneuvered them; he remembers how his hands ached from constricting around the controls of the Black Lion, or from being balled into fists of frustration for far too long. He remembers lying awake at night, running over each failed mission in his head until it felt as though he was reliving them over again, wondering what he could have changed, if anything (and how he was supposed to lead the team to victory when the opposition was continuously running rings around them). Keith remembers all of this, and that’s what makes him want to know what makes Lotor tick. He wants to know what Lotor is thinking, what he is planning; wants to know what Lotor  _was_ thinking, back when he did things such as attacking that outpost in the Ulippa system. Lotor is both fascinating and frustrating; he cannot be trusted, not really, but he’s an invaluable ally now that they have him. He’s an excellent pilot, a brilliant swordsman. They were enemies once, and maybe they could be again someday, but that doesn’t mean that Keith can’t appreciate his skills. That doesn’t mean that Keith is blind to Lotor’s abilities. For as much as he does not yet understand Lotor—for as much as he  _needs_ to understand Lotor, particularly if they really are enemies again one day in the future—he is not blind to him. He is not blind to Lotor’s intelligence, his skills, or his firm sense of purpose and willingness to be daring. Keith sees, and is interested by, it all.

Lotor, too, is fascinated by what he sees in Keith. Keith is another part-Galra, like himself. He grew up on Earth, where no one knew of or could discriminate against him for his Galra heritage, but his time in space has more than awakened him to the fact that many (most) are not receptive to those like them. But there is more to each of them than their bloodline, however much it might affect how they are perceived in the rest of the universe. Keith has a natural grace in the cockpit that most could never dream of achieving. His ambidexterity only adds to his skill with the sword, which was already impressive before Lotor saw how easily Keith could switch sword hands mid-swing. But most of all, what Lotor finds fascinating about Keith is his intense and unwavering determination. Keith is not determined in the way a mountain refuses to budge from its landsacpe. Keith is determined in the way a wildfire devastates forests. Keith’s determination led him to throw himself against Lotor time and again no matter how many times Lotor outmanuevered Team Voltron. Keith’s determination led him to fly his tiny fighter against Haggar’s massive battle cruiser in the hopes of shattering her shield, not because he had any desire to die, but because he had the resolve to see what needed to be done through to the end. His determination, his intensity, his willingness to go to lengths others would recoil from are all fascinating to Lotor. They draw him to Keith, more than he feels drawn to any other member of the coalition.

As time goes on, their intrigue grows into comfortable camaraderie.

Many of Keith’s questions about Lotor are answered right off the bat, and in lieu of answers to chase pertaining to his actions during the time they spent on opposite sides of the war, the conversations they have venture into different subjects instead. Keith was interested in learning about Lotor, and he still is, but as it turns out Lotor was interested in  _him_ , too. This is a new experience for Keith, but not an unpleasant one. Talking with Lotor is easier than talking with most others. Lotor is not only genuinely interested in what Keith has to say, but his responses are thoughtful and sometimes laced with the same form of dry, sometimes sarcastic humor that makes Keith grin and laugh a little. And while their conversations are interesting, Lotor is comfortable with silence as well; he’s fine with not exchanging words during sparring sessions, or sitting quietly on the observation deck. Conversations between them are not forced, and though they ask about one another, they don’t feel like pointless, vapid chitchat. Keith enjoys the time they spend together. He’s disappointed when responsibilities pull them apart.

What began as intrigue for Lotor grows the more he gets to know Keith. Most, if not all, of his original assumptions about Keith were correct. His intensity, his determination—those are qualities that are very real and very present within Keith. But Keith, Lotor finds, is so much more than that. Off the battlefield, in his downtime, he’s quieter, calmer, more pensive. His sense of humor is a bit off-beat, and his insights—while usually agreeable to Lotor—offer perspectives that Lotor himself hadn’t previously considered. Lotor finds himself asking after Keith’s opinion on all matter of things not because it is pressing, or because it will give him an angle to work, but because he genuinely wishes to know for the sake of knowing. The time they spend conversing is intellectually fulfilling for Lotor, but the time they spend in silence is peaceful and soothing as well. They have a mutual understanding and pace between them; they move in a similar sync. Lotor was intrigued by Keith from the start, and Keith still does have his interest, but now his desire to be around Keith is a little more than simple intrigue. Now he finds his mood considerably lifted even when the time he spends with Keith yields no new information at all.

More time passes still, and comfortable camaraderie becomes a reciprocated bond of trust, respect, and care.

Keith understands Lotor by now—or he believes he does, he  _feels_ he does, and his instincts have rarely steered him long. He understands Lotor, and his understanding has led him to be able to trust that he and Lotor will be on the same page on most issues. Even if their initial thoughts differ, he knows their willingness to do what must be done is equal. He knows their determination to see things through to the end is equal. He knows what Lotor is capable of, and he knows that Lotor, likewise, knows what  _Keith_ is capable of. And he knows, implicitly, that when they are on the same team—when they are side by side—they are nigh unstoppable. Keith knows much of what Lotor has been through. He knows what Lotor has fought for, bled for, and lost. He knows that Lotor is sincere in most things he says, even if he pretends to others not to be, and he knows that the things Lotor fights for—the things Lotor  _believes_ in—are not only worthy, but ultimately  _right_. But of all the things Keith now knows and understands about Lotor, the most important of all is that he knows he can trust Lotor to not only  _hear_ him, but  _listen_ to him. Lotor, for all that he is convinced of his own path, is genuinely open to Keith’s ideas and feelings. He listens, takes them into consideration, and modifies his own plans to accommodate. Keith knows, on a level that causes his instinct to stamp out any doubts in his mind, that if he goes to Lotor, Lotor will genuinely level with him. Lotor will have his back, and his side. Even if no one else would understand, Lotor would. There is security in that knowledge that Keith refuses to relinquish.

Lotor, too, now knows Keith as he knows himself. He knows that, unlike so many others in Lotor’s life over the years, Keith does not play games. He does not lie, does not deceive; he doesn’t manipulate others to his own ends. Keith is straightforward, honest, passionate. Keith is vocal when he agrees with a plan, and just as vocal when he disagrees with one. And unlike all others Lotor has had interactions with over the years, Keith does not look at him and see a prince, or a commander, or even ‘Zarkon’s son.’ Keith looks at him and sees only  _Lotor._ Keith regards him as he is, as a  _person_ ,  _without_ regard for any of the titles of stigma Lotor has shouldered his entire life. Lotor can, and does, trust Keith to regard him as an equal. When they work together, they do so standing side by side. Keith is not (and would never be) his subordinate, nor is he Lotor’s superior; he treats Lotor with the same civility and respect he grants everyone else, while not mincing or shying away from his honesty. Lotor trusts Keith to have his back. He knows Keith will trust in his strategies, his plans, his ideals. Yet he also knows that Keith will tell him when his plans have flaws, when his strategies are weak, and when his ideals are being compromised. He knows Keith will offer alternatives, and suggests solutions. He knows that Keith will never feel obligated to follow his orders, but he trusts Keith to assist in crafting them. Lotor knows that Keith, as capable as he is, is not one who will push him to the top. Rather, as someone who is every bit the leader that Lotor himself is, Keith is one who will stand with Lotor there. Lotor knows this—he trusts in this—and he  _values_ this more than simple words can convey with each passing quintant.

And finally, their bond of mutually reciprocated trust, respect, and care becomes unbreakable, and ultimately blossoms into fully realized companionship not only based in the above, but also in genuine happiness, comfort, and love.

What Keith has found in Lotor is something he has longed for over most of his life, most often subconsciously. Lotor appreciates all that Keith is capable of; he makes no habit of downplaying Keith’s abilities, and actively combats Keith’s own instinctive attempts to do so. But that in itself is not unusual; most people he has met have recognized Keith by his abilities, whether those skills are ones he has already presented, or what they believe he is capable of. Lotor sees Keith as more. Lotor enjoys Keith’s company not because of what Keith can do, but because of who Keith  _is_. For the first time in  _such_ a long time, Keith feels valued, loved, and cherished on a deep,  _personal_ level. He knows, in his heart of hearts, that his feelings of reciprocation—that  _his_ love for Lotor—is desired and treasured in turn. There are so many things Keith admires about Lotor. There are so many reasons why, in terms of revolution or the ongoing war, he would want to stand by Lotor’s side and offer his sword to Lotor’s cause. But all of that is muted against the vivid, soul-deep intensity with which he knows that Lotor loves  _him_. Not his abilities, not his skills, not what he has done or can do for the war effort, but  _him_. Keith. Keith is certain, more than he has ever been, that Lotor loves  _him_ earnestly, completely, and without risk of sudden rejection or changed feelings. For the first time in his life, Keith is certain he has found someone who will never leave him. For the first time in his life, Keith doesn’t doubt the love someone feels for him. Lotor has given him undeniable and immutable love, and that is something Keith will never take for granted.

Lotor has spent his life with his back against the wall. Even in the presence of those he chose himself and trusted most, he could never truly relax. He was always alert, always listening, always prepared for the strike of betrayal that inevitably always came. Keith is different. It takes time for Lotor to realize this—time for him to realize that for all the qualities Keith has that Lotor finds attractive (and there are countless), what makes Lotor want to pull Keith into his embrace and never release him is the sanctuary Keith creates with his mere presence. Keith is clever, brave, resilient, enthralling, bold, thoughtful, determined, and capable. But as much as he is all of those things, Keith is also steadfast, loyal, and protective. He  _loves_ and  _cherishes_ Lotor, openly and sincerely, and this love, Lotor knows, is unwavering. Keith’s feelings are what move him to do the things he does; he acts based not only on logical fact and strategic planning, but by what he  _feels_ in his heart of hearts is right. And so it is the love, the  _genuine love_ that Keith has for Lotor—love that Lotor cannot ever remember feeling the likes of at any other point in his life—that make him so steadfast in his decision to stay by Lotor’s side. It is his love that inspires his loyalty, rather than obligation or opportunity. And it is his love that inspires him to place not a knife between Lotor’s shoulder blades, but rather his forehead, his arms wrapped around Lotor’s waist, his embrace warm, secure, and  _safe._ For the first time in his life, Lotor has someone who will give him not only a hand to hold, but a shoulder to lean on. For the first time in his life, he has found someone who will, without hesitation, or question, or expectation, put up a guard for  _both_ of them, so that Lotor can let his own down. Keith has given him inviolable sanctuary built on trust and love, and that is an invaluable gift that Lotor will cherish for the rest of his days.

 


End file.
